OPCW Conference: Iran ‘neither forgives nor forgets’ US, Germany chemical weapons supplies to Saddam

Iran has reiterated calls for Germany and the US to be held accountable over the role of supplies from both countries who provided former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Reza Najafi, made the remarks during his address at the 27th Conference of States Parties (CSP-27) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague yesterday.

“As the biggest victim of chemical weapons in the contemporary history, Iran neither forgives nor forgets the perpetrators and supporters of Iraq’s chemical attacks and these crimes,” Najafi added.

The Iranian diplomat also pointed out that Israel, which is also a nuclear-armed state is allegedly still in possession of such weapons, which have not been accounted for.

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“The Zionist regime of Israel is in possession of various types of weapons of mass destruction and is the most serious threat to peace and security in the region and the world. It is the cause of the failure of [establishment of a] Middle East region free of weapons of mass destruction,” he said.

Yesterday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, appeared at a presser and displayed a chemical mask, alluding to Germany’s support of Saddam and its supply of chemical weapons to Baathist Iraq.

“For Iranian civilians and members of our military forces, this frightening mask brings back memories. I was on the battlefronts during the Sacred Defence when I was a 16–17-year-old youngster. We carried this mask, which has a spooky aspect, in various locations, even behind the front,” he told reporters.

“Saddam’s regime had no barriers in utilising weaponry and chemical munitions throughout the conflict, which was supported by Western powers, particularly the German government,” Kanaani stressed.